Batting training device

ABSTRACT

A batting training device and related methods of use for simulating pitch location during batting practice. The batting training device can include a rotatable arm assembly that allows one or more ball support cones to be positioned in almost any location relative to a baseball or softball strike zone.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/753,567, filed Oct. 31, 2018, which is herebyincorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a training device for sportsinvolving a bat and a ball. More specifically, the invention is directedto a batting training tee including support cones and an adjustable armassembly that allows one or more balls to be quickly and easilypositioned at almost any hittable location about a base.

BACKGROUND

Sports such as baseball and softball have been around for generationsand continue to attract players of all ages and skill levels. One of themost essential skills of baseball and softball is the ability of aplayer to hit a pitched ball. For years batting tees have been used toimprove hitting skills of baseball and softball players. Conventionalbatting tees comprise a base and an upright member that holds a ball.Typically the upright member is centered on the base, which typically isa replica of a home plate/base, and can be adjustable in the up and downposition to accommodate variations in a batter's height. However,conventional batting tees do not allow a batter to simulate pitches invarious strike zones within the home plate space.

While existing adjustable batting tee designs attempt to relieve thisissue, there are still many drawbacks in their designs. For example, thecan include a singular adjustable arm and limited mobility of thesupporting member. Therefore, conventional adjustable batting tees canbe time consuming and difficult to properly simulate the variability ofpitches expected in real game play. For example, the ability to simulateboth outside pitches and inside pitches with respect to home plate canbe limited

It would be beneficial to provide a batting tee capable of providing abatter with a wide variety of simulated pitch locations that canaccurately reflect the variability of pitches in real game play. Itwould also be desirable to provide a batting tee capable of positioninga second ball, without adding an additional base support member.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a training device forindividual batting practice. More specifically, representativeembodiments of the training device relate to a batting tee including oneor more support cones and a support pole with a rotatable arm assembly.In an alternative embodiment, the tee includes two support cones, onelocated over a central support pole, and a second that is mounted on arotatable arm assembly that extends outward from the central supportpole. In another alternative embodiment, a central pole includes arotatable arm wherein the rotatable arm is able to be positionedrelative to the plate such that any portion of the plate can be reachedby rotating the rotatable arm and a second support cone relative to thecentral support pole. In another embodiment, the training device caninclude an adapter for fixing the position of one arm of the rotatablearm assemble to prevent rotation of the arms relative to each otherduring use. In yet another embodiment, the training device can comprisea plate adapter allowing the one or more support cones to be positionedrelative to a plate body having a shape and size matching a regulationhome plate. The embodiments of the training device all provide a userthe ability to simulate the variability of pitches and locationsrelative to a strike zone in real game play.

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a batting trainingdevice that includes an adjustable arm assembly. The adjustable armassembly can comprise first and second arms that are operably, rotatablyinterconnected. In some embodiments, the first and second arms can be ofequal length while in alternative embodiments, the arm length of thefirst and second arms can be of different lengths. Generally, a firstarm can include a fitting or adapter allowing the arm assembly to beoperably mounted to a batting tee while the second arm can include asupport cone for supporting a baseball. In some embodiments, the firstarm can include a second support cone allowing the adjustable armassembly to simultaneously support two baseballs. In an alternativeembodiment, the batting training device can further comprise a mountingadapter for operably coupling the first arm to the batting tee. Themounting adapter can include a slot member adapted to receive and retainthe first arm such that the orientation of the first arm is fixedrelative to the mounting adapter and the second arm is prevented fromrotating over the batting tee.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method forproviding adjustability to a batting tee. The method can comprise a stepof attaching an adjustable arm assembly to the batting training devicewhere the adjustable arm assembly includes a first arm rotatablyconnected to a second arm. The method can further comprise attaching aball support cone to the second arm and rotating the second arm relativeto the first arm to position the ball support cone at a desiredhorizontal location. The method can further comprise a step of adjustinga height of a support pole portion of the batting training device suchthat the ball support cone is at a desired vertical location. In someembodiments, the method can further comprise attaching the first arm tothe support pole with a mounting adapter, wherein the orientation of thefirst arm is fixed relative to the mounting adapter such that the secondarm cannot rotate over the support pole. The method can further comprisemounting a second ball support cone on either the first arm or themounting adapter such that the second ball support cone resides abovethe support pole. The method can further comprise attaching a basemember of the batting tee to a plate adapter that includes a plate bodyhaving a shape and size that is substantially identical to an officialbaseball home plate such that the one or more ball support cones arevertically and horizontally positionable relative to a regulation strikezone. The method can further comprise placing the base member into arecessed cavity defined in an upper surface of the plate body. In someembodiments, the method can further comprise constraining movement ofthe base member within the recessed cavity.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a battingtraining device that includes a mounting adapter allowing two ballsupport cones to be utilized at once. Generally, the mounting adaptercan be operably coupled between a support pole and an adjustable armassembly that includes first and second arm that are operably, rotatablycoupled. The first arm can attach to the mounting adapter such that thefirst arm is positioned within a slot member on the mounting adaptersuch orientation of the first arm is fixed relative to the mountingadapter. As the mounting adapter essentially spaces the adjustable armassembly away from the support pole, the adjustable arm assembly canfabricated such that the first and second arms are essentially identicalin size, shape and appearance but otherwise mounted in a mirror imagerelationship, thereby lowering manufacturing costs. Use of the mountingadapter allows a first ball support cone to be mounted on the second armwith a second ball support cone simultaneously mounting on the mountingadapter at a position above the support pole while preventing the secondarm from unintentionally rotating into contact with the second ballsupport cone.

In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a plateadapter assembly that can allows one or more ball support cones to bepositioned relative to an official baseball strikezone. Generally, theplate adapter assembly can include a plate body that is sized and shapedto be substantially identical to a regulation baseball home plate. Theplate body can define a recessed cavity in an upper surface of the platebody that is sized to received a base member of a batting trainingdevice. The plate adapter assembly can further comprise a retainingmember that at least partially extends over the recessed cavity, forexample, over a corner of the recessed cavity, to constrain and retainthe base member within the recessed cavity.

The above summary is not intended to describe each illustratedembodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. Thefigures and the detailed description that follow more particularlyexemplify various embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in considerationof the following detailed description of various embodiments inconnection with the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a batting training device with anadjustable arm simulating a pitch to a right half of a base according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the batting training device of FIG. 1Awith the adjustable arm simulating a pitch to a left half of a base.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the batting training device of FIG. 1Bwith the adjustable arm simulating a pitch outside of a strike zone.

FIG. 2A is a detailed front view of an upper portion of batting trainingdevice of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2B is a detailed front view of the upper portion of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a detailed front view of the upper portion of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a side view of a batting training device according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the batting training device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a bottom view of the training device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3D is a side view of a hinge assembly portion of the battingtraining device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a perspective side view of the batting training device ofFIG. 3A in used with a batting tee.

FIG. 4B is a perspective side view of a mounting rod separated in firstand second portions for use with the batting training device of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4C is a perspective side view of the batting training device ofFIG. 3A being mounted on a batting tee.

FIG. 4D is a perspective side view of the batting training device ofFIG. 3A mounted on a batting tee.

FIG. 4E is a perspective side view of the batting training device ofFIG. 3A mounted on a batting tee and including a ball support cone.

FIG. 4F is a perspective side view of the batting training device ofFIG. 3A mounted on a batting tee and including a ball support cone.

FIG. 5A is a partially hidden, side view of a batting training deviceincluding a mounting adapter according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5B is a partially hidden, side view of the mounting adapter asutilized in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is a perspective view of the mounting adapter as utilized inFIG. 5A.

FIG. 5D is a section view of the mounting adapter as utilized in FIG. 5Aand taken at line A-A of FIG. 5B.

FIG. 6A is a top view of a batting training device being utilized with aplate adapter assembly according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6B is a front, top perspective view of the plate adapter assemblyof FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is a bottom view of the plate adapter assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6D is a detailed, top view of the plate adapter assembly of FIG.6A.

FIG. 6E is a top view of a batting training device being positionedrelative to the plate adapter assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6F is a top view of the plate adapter assembly of FIG. 6A.

While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications andalternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of examplein the drawings and will be described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimedinventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined bythe claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B and 2C, a representativeembodiment of a batting training device 100 can comprise a base 102, asupport pole 104, an adjustable arm assembly 106, a support cone 108, anadjuster mechanism 110, a coupling device 112, and adjustable nut 114.Batting training device 100 is generally fabricated of materialscompatible for forces associated with a swinging bat as well asdurability to withstand general wear and tear associated with game playof any game comprising a ball and bat. Support cones 108 a and 108 b cancomprise materials of construction suitable for general wear and tear ofgame play as well as forces associated with a swinging bat. Materialsfor a batting training device 100 and/or support cone 108 can comprise ametal such as steel, aluminum and other suitable rigid materials.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, batting training device 100 generallycomprises a base 102 having a support pole 104. Base 102 generally has ashape similar or identical to a home base\plate as seen in baseball orsoftball game play. Base 102 can be fabricated of suitable materials,for example, metal, plastic and combinations thereof. In someembodiments, base 102 can be designed and fabricated to intentionally beweighted such that the batting training device 100 has a low center ofgravity to provide support and/or stability for the batting trainingdevice 100.

According to an embodiment, support pole 104 can be positioned at acentral location 103 of base 102 to improve overall stability of thebatting training device. Alternatively, it may be desirable to locatethe support proximate a perimeter edge 105 of base 102, for example,either forward, back, left or right of the central location 103. Asshown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, support pole 104 can be vertically coupledto the base 102. In some instance, support pole 104 can be permanentlyattached to the base 102, for example, by welding or molding, oralternatively, support pole 104 can be detachable from base 102 tofacilitate transport and/or storage of the batter training device 100.Support pole 104 can comprise an exterior member 107 and an interiormember 109, wherein the interior member 109 is slidable within theinterior member 109 to allow for height adjustment of the support pole104. Exterior member 107 can comprise a locking aperture 111 throughwhich a locking member 110 can engage and fix the position of theinterior member 109 relative to the exterior member. As seen in FIGS.1A, 1B and 1C, locking aperture 111 can comprise a threaded aperture andlocking member 110 can be rotatably advanced through the lockingaperture 111 to engage and fix the height of the interior member 109relative to the exterior member 107. By selectively loosening andtightening the locking member 110, the height of the interior member 109can be continually adjusted. Alternatively, the interior member 107 cancomprise a pair of aligned apertures and the exterior member 109 cancomprise a plurality of spaced apart sets of apertures and the lockingmember 110 can take the form of a spring-loaded push pin or clip thatcan be quickly inserted through aligned apertures on the interior member107 and exterior member 109.

Referring still to FIGS. 1A-1C, support pole 104 can also comprise alocking member 114 such as, for example, an adjustable nut, bolt orscrew. In some aspects, locking member 114 is coupled to support pole104, and exterior member 109 specifically, and is configured to allow afirst adjustable arm member 106 a to rotate about support pole 104. Insome other aspects, locking member 114 can be loosened to allow a userto position the first adjustable arm member 106 a at any position aboutthe support pole 104. In some aspects, adjustable nut 114 may betightened to prohibit first adjustable arm piece 106 a fromunintentionally rotating about support pole 104.

As illustrated, batting training device 100 can further comprise asecond adjustable arm member 106 b. The first adjustable arm member 106a can be coupled to support pole 104 at a position between the lockingmember 114 and a base of the first support cone 108 a. First adjustablearm 106 a can extend perpendicularly away from support pole 104 at aheight fixed relative to the height of support pole 104. Firstadjustable arm member 106 a can be configured to rotate about supportpole 104 such that the first adjustable arm member 106 a can extendradially so as to reside in a variety of parallel orientations relativeto the base 102, for example, 360° of orientations about the supportpole 304. For example, first adjustable arm member 106 a can be rotatedto be configured on a right side of base 102 as seen in FIG. 1A.Alternatively, first adjustable arm member 106 a can be rotated to beconfigured on a left side of base 102 as seen in FIG. 1B A distal end113 of first adjustable arm member 106 a can be coupled to a couplingmember 112.

Referring still to FIGS. 1A-1C, batting training device 100 can furthercomprise a second adjustable arm member 106 b. Second adjustable armmember 106 b can be rotatably coupled to first adjustable arm 106 a atcoupling device 112. Second adjustable arm 106 b can be configured tohave an arm length that is shorter than first adjustable arm 106 a.Alternatively, second adjustable arm 106 b can have the same length asfirst adjustable arm 106 a such that the second adjustable arm 106 b canessentially reach back to the position of support pole 104. In anotheralternative embodiment, second adjustable arm 106 b can include aplurality of adjustment apertures that allow the rotatable length ofsecond adjustable arm 106 b to be adjusted. For example, the secondadjustable arm 106 b can be adjustable to have lengths, for example, of8.5 inches or 6.5 inches or any other suitable length to simulate ballpositions relative to the base 102. Similar to the first adjustable armmember 106 a, the second adjustable arm member 106 b can be configuredto reside in a perpendicular orientation to the support pole 104 whileresiding in a parallel orientation to first adjustable arm member 106 abut spaced apart at a fixed height relative to the first adjustable armmember 106 a by the coupling member 112. Second adjustable arm 106 b canbe rotatably oriented 360° about the coupling device 112. In someinstance, for example as shown in FIG. 1C, the second adjustable armmember 106 b can be rotatably adjusted at the coupling device 112 suchthat second adjustable arm 106 b member extends outward from the firstadjustable arm member 106 a such that the support cone 108 b residesoutside the perimeter edge 105 to simulate ball locations that areinside or outside of the strike zone (FIG. 1C demonstrating an outsidelocation for a right handed batter or an inside location for a lefthanded batter).

First support cone 108 a is coupled to a support post 116 located on thesupport pole 104 at a support upper 1 end 118 above the base 102. Secondsupport cone 108 b is coupled to a second support post 120 located onthe second adjustable arm 106 b at a second distal end 122 spaced apartfrom coupling device 112. According to an embodiment, support cones 108a and 108 b can be substantially similar in size and shaped and have aconical shape 124 defined between a smaller open end 126 (for removablemounting over the support post 116 and second support post 120respectively) and a larger open 128 that is selectively sized forplacement and support of a baseball or softball on the larger open end128. Support cones 108 a and 108 b are preferably fabricated of aresilient, flexible material that can withstand forces of a swingwithout suffering damage and can repeatedly return to the their originalshape. For instance, support cones 108 a and 108 b can be fabricatedfrom a material such as, for example, a natural or synthetic rubber or aflexible polymer.

In use, first adjustable arm and second adjust arm can be rotatablyadjusted relative to each other and the support pole 104 to account forball positions in various locations inside or outside strike zones forboth right and left handed batters as depicted in FIGS. 2A-2C. Inaddition, manipulation of the interior member 109 relative to theexterior member 107 allows the height of the balls positioned on thesupport cones 108 a, 108 to be varied based on the height of theindividual batter as well as to offer ball positions at various heightswithin the strike zone as well as balls located both above and below thestrike zone. In this way, the batting training device 100 is ablethrough quick and easy adjustments to simulate the position of almostany hittable ball. In addition, the use of two support cones 108 a, 108b allow the user to take two swings prior to placement of the nextball(s), with each swing allowing the user to practice a different swinglocation. Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have beendescribed herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example andare not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It shouldbe appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodimentsthat have been described may be combined in various ways to producenumerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials,dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have beendescribed for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides thosedisclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimedinventions.

In another related embodiment, a batting training device 200 can providesimilar functionality to the batting training device 100 but include theflexibility to use batting training device 200 in conjunction with auser's existing batting tee devices. Batting training device 200 isillustrated generally in FIGS. 3A-3D and can comprise an adjustable armassembly 200 adapted for use with existing batting tees. Generally,adjustable arm assembly 200 can comprise a first adjustable arm 202, asecond adjustable arm 230 and a collar member 260. Adjustable armassembly 200 is preferably manufactured of appropriate, rigid materialsincluding for example, metals such as painted steed, stainless steel andaluminum or appropriate polymeric materials.

As seen in FIGS. 3A-3C, first adjustable arm 202 defines an arm body 204having a first arm length 206 defined between first arm ends 208 a, 208b. First arm end 208 a can define a tee adapter 209 having a downwardfacing cylindrical body 210 with a cylindrical opening 212 and an endwall 214. Downward facing cylindrical body 210 generally defines ahollow body length 216 between the cylindrical opening 212 and the endwall 214. In some embodiments, the downward facing cylindrical body 210can include a bearing assembly mounted within the hollow body length216. First arm end 208 b includes an upwardly facing cylindrical body220 with openings 222 a, 222 b.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, second adjustable arm 230 includes a secondarm length 232 defined between second ends 234 a, 234 b. Second end 234a generally defines an aperture 236 that is preferably dimensioned to besimilar to opening 222 a. Second end 234 b can comprise an upward facingcylindrical body 238 with openings 240 a, 240 b.

Generally, the first adjustable arm 202 and second adjustable arm 230can be rotatably connected with a hinge assembly 250 as best seen inFIG. 3D to form the batting training device 200. Generally, the hingeassembly 250 can comprise a hinge pin 252, a hinge nut 254 and one ormore hinge spacers/bearings 256. Generally, the hinge pin 252 can beslidably inserted through the aperture 236 and through the openings 222a, 222 b such that the hinge nut 254 can be connected to the hinge pin252 as it projects through opening 222 b. The hinge nut 254 can betightened as desired to make the rotation of the second adjustable arm230 relative to the first adjustable arm 202 as easy or as difficult asdesired by the user.

As discussed previously, the batting training device 200 can be utilizedwith a conventional batting tee 300 such as that shown in FIG. 4A.Generally, batting tee 300 can comprise a base 302, a telescopingsupport 304, a mounting rod 306 and a ball support cone 308. In order toattach the batting tee device 200 to the batting tee 300, a user can cutmounting rod 306 into a first portion 306 a and a second portion 306 bas shown in FIG. 4B. The user can slide the first portion 306 a throughthe collar assembly 260 such that a collar set screw 262 can betightened against the first portion 306 a such that the first portion306 a extends out both sides of the collar assembly 260. The collarassembly 260 can then be positioned on top of the telescoping support304 such that a lower end of the first portion 306 a is positionedinside the telescoping support 304. The user then places the downwardfacing cylindrical body 210 over the upper end of the first portion 306a as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D such that the batting training device 200is operably mounted to the telescoping support 304.

With the batting training device 200 attached to the telescoping support304, the second portion 306 b can be dropped through the opening 240 aon the second end 234 b as shown in FIG. 4E. With the second portion 306b attached to the second adjustable arm 230, the ball support cone 308can then be dropped over and retaining on the second portion 306 b. Inthis way, the ball support cone 308 is now rotatably coupled to thebatting training device 200. A ball can then be placed on the ballsupport cone 308 for batting practice.

In use, a user would simply adjust the telescoping support 304 such thatthe ball is supported by the ball support cone 308 at a desired practiceheight. The user can then rotatably positioned the ball support cone inalmost any front, back, inside or outside portion of the base 302. Inthis way, the user can position the ball in almost any location withinor near the strike zone of a batter for simulating baseball or softballpitch location.

In a variation to batting training device 200, an adjustable armassembly 400 can be utilized with a mounting adapter 402 to form abatting training device 404 that can provide an ability to mount aplurality of ball support cones 406 a, 406 b as shown in FIG. 5A.Generally, the adjustable arm assembly 400 can comprise a pair ofadjustable arms 408 a, 408 b that are preferably, dimensionallyidentically but operably coupled in mirror image relation. Theadjustable arms 408 a, 408 b each include an arm body 410 having an armlength 412 defined between a connecting end 414 and a mounting end 416.Arm body 410 generally defines opposed body surfaces 418 a, 418 b andopposed body sides 420 a, 420 b. Generally, connecting end 414 defines acylindrical bore 422 that is continuously defined between the opposedbody surfaces 418 a, 418 b. Mounting end 416 includes a mountingaperture 424 defining an opening on the body surface 418 a and has aclosed end on the body surface 418 b. To assemble the adjustable armassembly 400, the adjustable arms 408 a, 408 b can be approximated asshown in FIG. 5A such that the body surfaces 408 b face each other andthe cylindrical bores 422 of both adjustable arms 408 a, 408 b. Afastening member (not shown) such as, for example, a nut and boltassembly can be directed and connected through the aligned cylindricalbores 422 to act as a hinge member and to rotatably couple theadjustable arms 408 a, 408 b.

Mounting adapter 402 can comprise an adapter body 430 defined between anadapter mounting end 432 and an adapter fixation end 434 as seen inFIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C. The adapter body 430 generally includes a pair ofopposed adapter surfaces 436 a, 436 b and a pair of opposed adaptersides 438 a, 438 b. The opposed adapter surfaces 436 a, 436 b have asurface width 439 defined between the opposed adapter sides 438 a, 438b. Adapter mounting end 432 can include a rotatable coupler fitting 440mounted to the adapter surface 436 b and a cone fitting 442 on theadapter surface 436 a. Rotatable coupler fitting 440 defines a coupleropening 444 while the cone fitting 442 defines a mounting post 446,wherein the coupler opening 444 is closed off by the adapter body 430such that the rotatable coupler fitting 440 and cone fitting 442 are notin communication with each other. A second fitting 448 can be mounted onthe adapter surface 436 a between the adapter mounting end 432 and theadapter fixation end 434. Second fitting 448 can substantially resemblethe size and orientation of cone fitting 442. Adapter fixation end 434comprises a slot member 452 defined on the adapter surface 436 a. Slotmember 452 is generally defined by a pair of slot walls 454 a, 454 bthat are arranged parallel to the adapter sides 438 a, 438 brespectively. The slot walls 438 a, 438 b define a slot width 456 thatis slightly oversized with respect to the surface width 439.

Generally, the batting training device 404 can be utilized with aconventional batting tee 300 that has been prepared as previouslydiscussed with respect to the batting training device 200. The user canorient the mounting adapter 402 such that the coupler opening 444 isproximate the first portion 306 a and then the rotatable coupler fitting440 is positioned over the first portion 306 a such that the mountingadapter 402 is operably mounted to the telescoping support 304. With themounting adapter 402 attached to the telescoping support 304, the secondportion 306 b can be dropped through the cone opening 446 on the conefitting 442.

Next, the user can mount the adjustable arm assembly 400 to the mountingadapter 402 by orienting one of the adjustable arms, for example,adjustable arm 408 a as shown in FIG. 5A such that the arm body 410 isaligned with slot member 452 and the mounting aperture 424 on theadjustable arm 408 a is positioned above the second fitting 448. Themounting aperture 424 can be lowered over the second fitting 448 wherebythe adjustable arm 408 a is fixedly captured between the slot walls 454a, 454 b. With the adjustable arm 408 a captured between slot walls 454a, 454 b, rotation of the adjustable arm 408 a relative to the mountingadapter 402 is prevented. As seen in FIG. 5A, adjustable arm 408 b canstill rotate relative to adjustable arm 408 a but when the adjustablearms 408 a, 408 b share the same arm length 412, the mounting end 416 ofadjustable arm 408 a cannot rotate such that the mounting end 416resides directly over the adapter mounting end 432. In thisconfiguration, ball support cones 406 a, 406 b can be usedsimultaneously without risk that the adjustable arm assembly 400 couldspin back and hit the ball support cone 406 a. With this arrangement, auser can position the batting tee such that the ball support cone 406 ais at a desired location representing an inner portion of home plate andthe ball support cone 406 b is located at a positioned representing amore outer portion of home plate.

In a further variation to batting training devices of the presentinvention, a plate adapter assembly 500 can be utilized withconventional bases 102 to orient one or more ball support cones relativeto actual home plate dimensions as shown in FIG. 6A. In many instances,base 102 as utilized with respect to existing batting training devicesis undersized with respect to the actual dimensions of an officialbaseball home plate. As will be further described, plate adapterassembly 500 can be utilized with the batting training devices of thepresent invention to present training options relative to real homeplate dimensions while also provide additional stability to the battingtraining devices during use.

As seen in FIGS. 6A-6F, plate adapter assembly 500 generally comprises aplate body 502 defining an irregular pentagon perimeter 504 having afront edge 506, a pair of side edges 508 a, 508 b and a pair ofintersecting, angled edges 510 a, 510 b. Irregular pentagon perimeter504 is sized so as to physically match a regulation baseball home plate.Plate body 502 further defines an upper surface 512 and a lower surface514 that are separated by a plate thickness 516. Plate body 502 can beformed of a variety of suitable materials including, for example,appropriate polymeric and metallic materials. Defined within the uppersurface 512 is a recessed cavity 518 that defined a recess perimeter520. Recess perimeter 520 can define a variety of perimeter shapes suchas, for example, substantially rectangular or square as depicted inFIGS. 6A-6E. Generally, recess perimeter 520 is selected and sized so asto substantially match a perimeter of conventional base 102 with recessperimeter 520 being slightly oversized with respect to conventional base102. Recessed cavity 518 includes a recessed surface 522 that residesbelow the upper surface 512 at a recess depth 524. In a preferredembodiment, recess depth 524 is less than the plate thickness 516. Platebody 502 can further define a pair of plate apertures 526 a, 526 b thatextend continually through the plate thickness 516 from the uppersurface 512 to the lower surface 514. Generally, plate apertures 526 a,526 b can be arranged on opposed sides of recessed cavity 518, forexample, along the angled edges 510, 510 b at a location proximate theintersection of angled edges 510 a, 510 b. Utilizing suitable connectors528, for example, screw or nuts and bolts, an elongated retaining member530 can be mounted between the plate apertures 526 a, 526 b such thatelongated retaining member 530 extends over a portion of the recessedcavity 518.

Generally, plate adapter assembly 500 is used by placing it in a desiredlocation with the upper surface 512 facing up. At this point, the usercan begin positioning the conventional base 102 such that theorientation of the conventional base 102 is aligned with the recessperimeter 520. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6E, the user can then drop acorner of the conventional base 102 into the recessed cavity 518 andslide the corner under the elongated retaining member 530 until theconventional base 102 sits flush against the recessed surface 522 andside to side/forward to back movement of the conventional base 102 isconstrained by the recessed cavity 518.

At this point, the user can utilize the various batting training devicesas previously disclosed in this application to position the ball supportcones relative to actual dimensions of a baseball home plate. As theuser takes practice swings, the elongated retaining member 530physically prevents the conventional base 102 from detaching from theplate body 502 in the event that user would mistakenly contact orprovide other forces to the batting training device. As describedpreviously, the recessed cavity 518 can be sized and shaped toaccommodate almost any configuration of conventional base 102.

Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that thesubject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated inany individual embodiment described above. The embodiments describedherein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways inwhich the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined.Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations offeatures; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination ofdifferent individual features selected from different individualembodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art.Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can beimplemented in other embodiments even when not described in suchembodiments unless otherwise noted.

Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specificcombination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can alsoinclude a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter ofeach other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features withother dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposedherein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.

Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such thatno subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicitdisclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above isfurther limited such that no claims included in the documents areincorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference ofdocuments above is yet further limited such that any definitionsprovided in the documents are not incorporated by reference hereinunless expressly included herein.

For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended thatthe provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless thespecific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.

1. A method for providing adjustability to a batting tee, comprising:attaching an adjustable arm assembly to a batting training device, theadjustable arm assembly including a first arm rotatably connected to asecond arm; attaching a ball support cone to the second arm of thebatting training device; and rotating the second arm relative to thefirst arm to position the ball support cone at a desired horizontallocation.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the batting training deviceincludes a support pole, said method further comprising: adjusting aheight of the support pole such that the ball support cone is at adesired vertical location.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step ofattaching the adjustable arm assembly to the batting training devicefurther comprises: attaching the first arm to a mounting adapter, themounting adapter including a slot member adapter adapted to engage thefirst arm such that the orientation of the first arm is fixed relativeto the mounting adapter.
 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:mounting a second ball support cone to a cone fitting on the mountingadapter, wherein rotation of the second arm relative to the first armdoes not contact the second ball support cone.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the second ball support cone resides above the support pole. 6.The method of claim 2, wherein the ball support cone is attached to abase and wherein the desired horizontal location of the ball supportcone is relative to the base.
 7. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising: attaching the base to a plate adapter assembly, the plateadapter assembly having a plate body defining a plate perimeter thatmatches a regulation baseball home plate.
 8. The method of claim 7,wherein the step of attaching the base to the plate adapter assemblyfurther comprises: placing the base within a recessed cavity defined onan upper surface of the plate body.
 9. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: constraining movement of the base within the recessedcavity.
 10. A batting training device, comprising: an adjustable armassembly having a first arm rotatably connected to a second arm, thefirst arm including a tee adapter for operable connection to a battingtee, the second arm including a support cone for supporting a baseball.11. The batting training device of claim 10, wherein a second arm lengthof the second arm is less than a first arm length of the first arm. 12.The batting training device of claim 11, wherein the first arm includesa second support cone positioned above the tee adapter.
 13. The battingtraining device of claim 10, wherein a second arm length of the secondarm is substantially equal to a first arm length of the first arm. 14.The batting training device of claim 13, further comprising: a mountingadapter for operably coupling the first arm to the batting tee, themounting adapter having a slot member, whereby the tee adapter canoperably couple the first arm to the mounting adapter and the slotmember receives the first arm such that the orientation of the first armis fixed relative to the mounting adapter.
 15. The batting trainingdevice of claim 14, wherein the mounting adapter further comprises acone fitting such that a second support cone can be attached to the conefitting and the second support cone is not contacted by the second armas the second arm rotates relative to the first arm.
 16. The battingtraining device of claim 10, wherein the batting tee is supported by abase.
 17. The batting training device of claim 16, further comprising: aplate adapter assembly having a plate body defining a plate perimeterthat matches a regulation baseball home plate.
 18. The batting trainingdevice of claim 17, wherein the plate body includes an upper surface,said upper surface defining a recessed cavity for receiving the base.19. The batting training device of claim 18, wherein the plate bodyincludes a retaining member extending over a portion of the recessedcavity, said restraining member retaining the base with the recessedcavity during use.